With One Breath
by vampyremiyu
Summary: Conan ponders over the condition of his young body and the thoughts of a teenager. Thank goodness Ran's asleep.... Fluffy drama and angst. A Conan/Ran oneshot.


WITH ONE BREATH  
A Detective Conan/Case Closed challenge short

Written by Miyu, Vampire Princess

CHALLENGE(S): You have to hold very still or...

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written for a 2006 challenge (yeah, this is kinda old), this is my interpretation of the challenge theme. If it's not right, tough. I think I did it some justice though. So many implications. This pair just screamed "write me" from out of nowhere. Conan + Ran (although Conan acts a little more like a teenager than a grade-schooler here). No lemon, though. And it's short to boot! Told from Conan's point of view. Please enjoy. A Standard Disclaimer appears at the end of the piece.

--

"Ran?"

SNORT!

"Uh...Ran...?"

Ran sighed happily, snuggling against her newfound fluffy pillow. She sighed as she settled, then her breathing became even, signaling a deeper rest. She'd been fussy earlier and only the new pillow had managed to make her dreams a little brighter at least. What could possibly be so very soft?

The body of a seven year-old boy named Conan Edogawa.

Namely, me.

Or rather, part of me. Most of my right leg and hip to be exact. My hand's caught too. I can still move my fingers, but all I feel is the softness of her hair.

The evening had not been all that busy. There had been no cases for the great Detective Morii. He complained about the small drought he was experiencing, but I -- for one -- was glad to have an evening at home. Ran, too, seemed grateful for some peace and quite.

Dinner was put together quite crudely, too. Not like her at all. Ran's a culinary genius! But what was so special about two day old leftovers...with a different sauce? The noodles were dry, too, but it was still delicious. Must have been quite the day for her to be so distracted.

Maybe school has been very tough. Mid terms are coming up. She's been studying a lot. Her grades are looking good, so I'm not sure why she's so determined. But she spends almost every night in her room, flipping through a textbook. She's never been a real nerd. That was always my job. I'll have to sneak a peak at the subject.

However, now is not a good time.

Her face is so serene as she sleeps. Even fitful she looks beautiful in repose. Waking her up would be a shame. Not to mention trouble. I'm sure she'd be angry, even if I'd done nothing wrong. But it's not her anger that worries me.

Her face is planted squarely in my lap.

I may look like a seven year old, but I'm really seventeen. Thoughts like this come naturally to any teenager. Even if I haven't been myself as of late. Explaining it would be difficult. Let me put it this way, if you swallow an alien pill, you may find yourself repeating the first grade. It doesn't keep you from thinking like an adult, either.

And right now, I'm having a very adult reaction to her nearness.

I'm not used to having this type of reaction. Nosebleeds are more the norm. I mean...I'm not a pervert. Seriously! But I've been having more, umm, rising troubles lately. Painful, throbbing troubles. Accompanied by impure thoughts, naughty dreams about the girl in my lap. The girl I love.

Puberty at seven. Who'd have thought of it?

'You have to hold very still,' I remind myself, trying with little effect of becoming more comfortable.

It wasn't working, of course. My problem is very noticeable to the naked eye. And it really does hurt. I need to...touch it. Adjust myself to keep it from exploding. It's so embarrassing but gods I need to do it.

However, if I wake her up, not only will she be mad...but she'll laugh at me. I could handle her anger. Not her laughter. My face would explode along with the rest of me.

With just one breath, I could wake her.

And in that same breath, I could kiss her.

What am I thinking? Do I crave death?!

I suppose I do.

Damn those adult thoughts!

Granted a kiss could wake her just as quickly, I'm willing to bet she won't even know it's me. Thank the gods! The low moan in her throat indicates that she's dreaming. And the sad look tells me who she's dreaming about.

Why do I always make you sad, Ran?

The press of my lips is light against hers. The fit is not entirely how I would have liked, but what can a seventeen year-old boy do with seven-year-old lips? And with my body so small, it's just not the same effect by a long shot!

But her response takes up my slack. Her mouth slants ever so slightly and the angle seems perfect. Her shoulder shift just so, and the positioning is a little more comfortable. It's like she knows just what to do and how to do it.

Will she ever stop being so amazing?

I pull away reluctantly. As much as I would have liked to go farther, I couldn't. It would only be a dream for her. But I would have to live without knowing if I'd be able to kiss her like that again. In my grown-up body. Like it really should be. It's simply too painful.

"Shinichi...I love you..."

Her words only punctuate the sting of my actions. But her lips are turned upward, and the smile there is one I only see on those rare occasions. A smile just for Shinichi.

Just for me.

I smile in return, sadly as I carefully pull my little arm and shoulder away from her head. She mutters incoherently, still asleep, then rolls over. I listen for the telltale sigh and know that she has gone off into another dream. For now.

I snuggle my smaller body against hers almost unconsciously. I'll probably get squashed in my sleep, but her warmth is soothing. And it's really the closest I can come to holding her. I'll be able to really hold her in my arms some day. It just seems so far away.

The steady rise and fall of her side guides my body into a state of relaxation. With the excitement of the moment gone, I crash on a wave of exhaustion. Closing my eyes, I'm swallowed by darkness. Most kids would be afraid, but I know she is there with me. I am safe. I am loved.

And with one more breath, I fall asleep.

--OWARI--

DISCLAIMER:  
I do not own any part of "Detective Conan" or "Case Closed". That prestige honor goes to creator Gosho Aoyama. The characters in this story are used without permission. No money is being made from the production of this story, so it is pointless to sue. Well, perhaps not so much pointless as unprofitable.


End file.
